Women's participation in the aviation sector has certainly advanced in recent decades. However, there are still many gaps that need to be closed to encourage the incorporation of a greater number of women into the sector. And India's aviation regulator plans to do just that.

Framework to expand the female workforce

India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will next year publish a framework aimed at pressuring the industry to increase the female workforce. DGCA chief Vikram Dev Dutt recently spoke at the 'Women in Indian Aviation' award ceremony and said that there are many thought processes going on and many of them will materialize in 2024.

Gender Equality Panel

In August, the DGCA constituted a four-member committee to examine the issue of women's participation in the Indian aviation sector. He said the objective of this committee is to suggest measures that the DGCA could take to promote gender equality in the industry.

The principal members of the committee include Survita Saxena, Director (Operations); RP Kashyap, Director (Training); Pavan Malviya, Deputy Director (Administration); and Kavita Singh, Deputy Director (Directorate of Aeronautical Engineering).

The aviation watchdog asked them to create norms that would encourage more women to join the industry and submit the report to the DGCA within six months of the date of joining. It will be interesting to see what ideas the special committee comes up with for a more gender-equal aviation space in the country.

India has the highest percentage of female pilots in the world

When it comes to female workforce in the aviation sector, India surpasses most countries in some aspects. While most senior positions at various airlines and within government agencies are still dominated by men, India leads the pack when it comes to female pilots.

India has the highest percentage of female pilots in the world. The latest data shows that around 15% of the country's total pilots are women. Citing the global average, the DGCA says the proportion of women pilots in India is three times higher than the 5% globally.

And at this time there are no special programs to promote the training of female pilots in the country. Of course, even 15% is still a long way from achieving greater gender balance within the sector, but it is a start nonetheless.

The DGCA, which plans to hire more workers in the coming years to handle India's growing air traffic, has women making up 11% of its workforce. Hopefully, with the new recommendations we will see more women in the cockpit and in various key positions in the industry, including the DGCA office itself.